Imphal, June 22: In connection with the approaching elections of the Sadar Hills District Council and the Lok Sabha, Tamei Block Congress Committee and Tamenglong Block Congress Committee have respectively organised one-day block level Congress workers' conferences at Tamei Bazar and the Town hall of the Tamenglong district headquarters.

Speaking as chief guest of the conferences held at Tamei Bazar on June 20 and at Tamenglong Town Hall on June 21, Works Minister K Ranjit dwelled at length on the alleged shortcomings of the successive Governments before the Congress-led SPF Government while highlighting the achievements of the SPF Government.

He said that after the Congress-led SPF Government came to power, it has been able to pull out the State from the scourge of overdraft left behind by the earlier Governments along with taking up various developmental works.

Saying that it would difficult to predict what the situation of Manipur would be in future, Ranjit maintained this is due to lack of wisdom on the part of the people in electing the right representatives during election time.

Exhorting that all the different groups of people living in Manipur are one, Ranjit noted that the Government has set up a memorial park at Keishampat in honour of Haipou Jadonang who sacrificed his life for the sake of Manipur.

Everybody should understand the history of Manipur instead of harping on creating out this land or that land, the Minister added.

On the developmental works being taken up by the SPF Government in Tamenglong district, the Works Minister said that during the current fiscal year an amount of Rs 10 crores has been earmarked for development of road and bridges in Tamenglong besides another Rs 6.10 crores for Sadar Hills.

Moreover, for construction of the road from Chalawa to Tamei along the 121 km long road connecting Kangpokpi and Tamenglong, a sum of Rs 1.40 crores has also been earmarked during 2006-07 .

Following detection of excess payment of around Rs 6 crores by the contractors in connivance with Engineers of the Works Department in connection with taking up works in far flung hill areas, the involved officials have been suspended and a departmental inquiry instituted against them, the Works Minister disclosed, adding the contractors involved too have started executed the works which had not been implemented following threat of black-listing them.

Nonetheless, two contractors from among those engaged in the works along Kangpokpi-Tamei stretch of the IT Road would be black-listed, the Minister informed, and warned that the Government would not spare any person involved in swindling of the developmental funds.

The Minister further informed that the NEC has approved sanctioning of Rs 26 crores for expansion of the IT Road from Tamei to Tamenglong and construction of drainage and retaining wall.

To start survey of the work, Rs 38 lakhs has been released as first instalment.

The Government has also earmarked Rs 2 crores for construction of the road from NH-53 to Langthong, Rs 1.5 crores each for Tamenglong-Tousem Road and Tamei-Kuilong Road and Rs 1 crore for Tupul-Thangal Road, the Minister said, adding that an amount of Rs 9 crores had been earmarked for Keiphundai-Tousem Road, but the fund is lying idle as the work has not yet been executed.

Besides development of roads and bridges, the SPF Government has also been paying due attention in other sectors like education, health, etc, the Minister asserted.

General secretary of MPCC Victor Keishing, Chairman of Manipur Pollution Control Board E Dwijamani, Ex-Minister DK Korungthang, Ex-Minister Z Mangaibou, president of Manipur Pradesh Youth Congress Committee L Tilotama and other office-bearers of MPCC participated in the conferences.

Taking the opportunity, a memorandum signed by president of Tamenglong Block Congress Committee was also submitted to the Government through the Works Minister.

Janthui Gonmei read out the points highlighted in the memorandum.

The memorandum alleged that the MLA of Tamenglong A/C has been indulging favouritism in selection of beneficiaries under the Hariyali and Water Shed Project, Congress workers are not taken into confidence by the VIPs visiting Tamenglong district and most of the Government officials posted in the district are in the capacity of in-charges.

Comment